Into The Ruins

by Blink, Bob

  Queen Rosul was a determined woman of moderate height, graying hair, and a slender but wiry build. She had led Sedfair with a firm hand for more than three decades. She had watched the city from this very perspective for most of her adult life. The second largest city in Sedfair, Nals was already fully developed when she moved here. Of course, certain buildings were razed and replaced with newer structures over the years, and others changed their appearance subtly over time, but from this distance, it looked almost completely unchanged.

  The ocean beyond the harbor appeared smooth and calm today, with a large number of moderately sized ships at anchor in the bay. The country had a reasonably sized fleet of ocean going vessels, mostly private. Fishermen and merchants owned the vast majority of the ships she could see. There was little need of a navy. No neighbors had ever been found that one might need to protect against, and as a single united country, resources were directed toward those endeavors that made more sense. She had commissioned a small fleet of large ships, large at least by Sedfair’s standards, for exploration purposes. She had long believed that Sedfair couldn’t be alone in the world, but by land the boundaries were locked by the Wastelands on the west, the great ocean to the east, and immense mountains along both the north and south borders. She had hoped the ships might sail beyond the borders and discover new lands and, perhaps other people, hopefully those with whom they could engage in friendship and trade.

  The ships had failed in their intended purpose. The ocean currents and prevailing winds had made the intended journeys impossible. On board supplies would run short before the ship could make enough headway to pass beyond the mountains that hugged the shore and prevented any inland exploration. Perhaps a ship using the steam power that had been developed some years before might overcome these restrictions, but it wouldn’t happen in her lifetime. Too many were against it and claimed it too dangerous despite the assurances of her scholars that such a design was feasible. She was certain in her heart there were others out there, and was saddened that they could not be located. The Baldari were proof of her belief. They came from somewhere to the south, hence their common name. Some believed they came from the west, out in the Wastelands, but she didn’t believe that. Whatever the case, if there was one other group, there were likely to be others.

  “I know better than you what it means,” the Queen said softly, finally responding to her daughter’s concern, her eyes still focused on the scene she would soon no longer be able to see except in her memories.

  The city would go on unchanged once she left. The castle and its day to day life as well. Many of the people who worked here would remain. Some would find her replacement more to their liking than her. Others would see the new Queen less desirable. Most probably wouldn’t care, their lives and tasks only marginally affected by who led the land. She liked to believe she’d made an impression on the lives of those who served her, but as she aged she became more cynical. A small fraction of those who had served her would be pushed out with her. Those were the unfortunate ones with ties too close to her. They would have to find new positions somewhere else. For some it would be easy. Others would have more difficulty. She had done what she could for them, but there was no way to know at this point how effective those efforts had been.

  Had she been a good Queen? She liked to think so. Her reign had not been without trials. The land had not exactly prospered, but much of that was the fault of the increasing attacks from both the Baldari and the strange beasts coming off the Wastelands far to the west. The need to field a growing Army had taxed the treasury. Still, even with the heavy demands of the Army, she had managed the economy and most of the populace were better off than they had been when she’d come into power. Conditions could have been even better if all of the nobles had been honest and fair, and submitted the taxes they were honor bound to pay, rather than seek clever means of concealing their gains each season.

  She would miss the castle where she had lived most of her adult life. Her family estates, still maintained by her aging mother and one of her brothers and only visited occasionally and then briefly, were located far to the north. They always seemed smaller than she remembered on those visits, despite the fact they were actually more extensive than those of the majority of the nobles of Sedfair. Those holdings couldn’t compare to the stately palace that had been created for the royal family here in Nals. First established almost a thousand years ago when the Queen of that time and her court had fled Yaul, the country’s former capital and still largest city. Fear of a return of the plague had caused the relocation here to the north near the ocean. It had been believed in those days that the deadly flowers did not flourish close to salt water, and that the isolation provided by the undeveloped land that would become Nals would protect them against the spreading disease should the plague reappear. That belief had been mistaken, but the isolation had proven beneficial. There had been limited breakouts in the decade that followed the relocation, but the Army under strict orders had dispassionately destroyed entire villages where it had broken out, and it had been contained, never to reappear again.

  A return to Yaul had never taken place. The royal family had taken a liking to the natural beauty near the sea with its cooler climate as compared to somewhat tropical Yaul, and the castle had been started. Over the centuries, it had been expanded and improved by the use of technology and magic. Now it was immense, and as regal and beautiful as the finest Casters of the Guild could make it. It was indeed a showplace for the Queen to live and greet her subjects.

  Rosul turned toward her daughter. “This transition should not be affecting you so greatly. We have known this day was coming, and your life will be only peripherally changed by the transition. You and your consort will continue to live here in Nals. You have your own estates and a business that is prosperous. I cannot see why you feel the need to stress over it. There is no way to alter what the law has defined must happen.”

  “It will not be the same afterwards. You will be gone, and I will owe allegiance to someone from one of the other families. I’m not sure how that will feel.”

  “It will most likely depend on who is selected to replace me,” the Queen replied. “You are mostly concerned you won’t have the ear of your Queen that you have been able to depend on all your life.” There was also the unstated dislike that existed between some members of the Hundred Families, which could be a factor if someone from one of the families with which bad blood existed. There were a number of those, and given the estranged nature of the Queen’s relationship with the Spellcaster’s Guild, she thought it likely someone from one of those families would probably be chosen. Out of spite if nothing else.

  Some of what Queen Rosul stated was true. Yisa would no longer have the freedom to wander into the royal quarters anytime she wished. She would have to petition for a meeting with the Queen or her advisors should she need to seek their approval of any matter. The Queen had been careful not to show favoritism with her rulings, but as family there was no question Yisa had been privileged with ease of access over the years.

  The Queen’s patience was somewhat thin with regards to her daughter today. Her own situation was much more unsettled. As the daughter to the Queen, Yisa and her sisters had known all of their lives that their day as part of the royal family would one day end. Pampered and given the best the kingdom could provide during their younger years, they had always known they would have to plan for their own future, one that was removed from matters of state. The law was quite explicit on the matter. No dynasties were to ever exist in Sedfair. Once the Queen left power, either through death or because of age, members of her family were excluded from any consideration of selection as the following leader. For two generations, no one related to the former Queen could be chosen to rule. That meant Yisa and her two sisters, Irili and Yadi, nor any of their children would be eligible for advancement. They had known this all their life, and the Queen had seen to their education preparing them for a career in business or the arts where t
hey could prosper on their own.

  In Yisa’s case, that had resulted in the creation of her shipping company, one of the largest and most successful in Sedfair, and accomplished mostly without the help of her mother. She was wealthy beyond worry, and could easily afford any luxury she might want. Her consort, a handsome but somewhat lazy lout in Rosul’s opinion, something she never expressed to her daughter, spent his time on the extensive lands Yisa had acquired so he could raise horses, mostly for show, but many of which were provided to the Army. The Queen’s two other daughters also had successful businesses, but nothing that compared to the small empire Yisa had carved out for herself. The two boys were mid level officers in the Imperial Army, one married, the other not.

  “What about Kris and Uari?” Yisa asked. “Have they made plans?” They were Rosul’s two blood sisters.

  “We have talked, of course. Uari had stated she plans to stay here in Nals, so you will have family close. She has made many contacts while running the treasury, and expects to do well in the private arena. Kris wants to retire to the family estates, at least for a while. She might elect to pursue one of several careers after she has had time to think about it without the pressures of her current position.” Kris’s consort had passed two years earlier in a riding accident, and that had affected her greatly. She looked older than Rosul while in fact she was almost ten years her junior.

  Rosul’s siblings were subjected to some of the same restrictions as her offspring. Once selected by the Spellcaster’s Guild as Queen, her siblings were immediately restricted from any chance at higher office in the land. They were no longer prospects to ascend to the throne. The highest civil post they could expect would be that of mayor in another city. The mayor of Nals could not be related to the Queen, again a matter of law. Should something befall the current Queen, then a new Queen, from a different family, would be selected in short order. This could be done within a matter of weeks. Past experience had shown this to be the case. Until the Queen was replaced, her five Royal Advisors would see to the daily running of the kingdom. This was tradition as well as law. There had been several instances where the Queen had died prematurely over the past thousand years, and the law had always been followed as written. Everyone in the country was aware of the ancient edicts, and any attempt to change them now would be met with resistance.

  The intent of the laws was stability. In the distant past there had been frequent situations where one member of the royal family would find ways to remove their ruling sibling and thereby advance themselves to a position of greater power. Under Sedfair’s laws, such action would only result in the siblings being removed from their privileged position as part of the country’s royal family. It became in their best interests to see to the well being of their family member so they could continue to share the benefits of recognition and position as long as their family member survived. Most often, the Queen would appoint members of the clan to posts within her government where she felt their closeness and personal interests would benefit both her rule and the country as well.

  On a more cynical note, the arrangement also worked in the favor of the Guild, which was responsible for overseeing the selection of a new Queen when the need arose. With no dynasty possible, the Guild had a great deal of power in its hands by the ability to influence whoever became Queen. Most of the Hundred Families were careful in their dealings with the Guild because of this situation. Of late, Rosul had her own opinions about the Guild and how it tried to manipulate the country’s leadership. They were far more powerful than most realized.

  The Queen’s second brother had pursued his own career in the face of tradition, and had quietly, so as not to embarrass the Crown, found satisfaction in establishing a large mining company in the far south of the country. A woman he had selected had become his consort, rather than himself being chosen as was the more traditional approach, and while officially his wife ran the company, Rosul knew who was really the brains behind the venture. She looked forward to being able to greet her brother once again, openly applauding his success and expertise.

  “Are you really so ready to accept your situation that you’ll step down docilely?” Yisa asked.

  A wry, somewhat sad smile crossed Rosul’s face. “There is really nothing I can do,” she replied. “The law is quite specific and the people would be outraged if I tried to circumvent it.”

  “The people love you,” Yisa objected.

  Rosul hoped that was true. She had tried to be a champion of the people, but knowing what she did, she wondered if she had accomplished as much as she hoped. She felt she could continue to rule effectively. She didn’t feel old and mentally challenged, in fact she wished she could continue to wage the secret war against the Guild and the tentacles it had into everything. Well, perhaps she could, but not as Queen. The Guild would see to that, even if the people would have allowed her to continue as Queen.

  Chapter 5

  The Queen worriedly watched as her eldest daughter left the room. For such a successful woman she certainly had a lot of insecurities. She’d have thought a child of hers would be made of sterner stuff, but Yisa had always surprised them, and not always in a good way. Although she was by far the most successful of her daughters, Yisa had always had a few cracks in her make-up, take her selection of husbands for example.

  “Something wrong?” Tinl asked from the door that led to the conference room behind her.

  The Queen turned and looked at the newcomer, wondering how long she’d been there. Yisa had come into her quarters through the family entrance, and momentarily the Queen had been distracted with family matters, forgetting the busy meeting schedule she had this morning. Tinl had come in through the front entrance, being passed by the guards who knew her well and who were aware of the standing meeting. As usual, Tinl was early, arriving an eighth of a glass before the others.

  Tinl was one of her Advisors, one of those who hoped to find a position with the woman who would be selected as Rosul’s replacement. Tinl had been part of the Queen’s Cabinet of Five for the past decade, having been chosen because of certain skills and contacts she had in the South that were important to Rosul’s plans in that area. More than once Rosul recently had wondered if the selection had been wise. Frequently of late she wondered if she’d been out maneuvered and Tinl was actually a plant that the Guild had managed to place in her inner circle. If so, then Tinl might be successful with her stated desires to continue on. If she had the blessings of the Guild, she would have the inside track to be selected. Only time would show how matters would turn out.

  “Nothing important,” the Queen replied. “As the transition approaches, many within the castle are unsettled by the changes that are coming. Even those within my immediate family, who should be less concerned than others. Yisa wishes the status quo could be maintained.”

  “As do we all,” Tinl replied tactfully. “But, that is the way of things. Yours has been a long and successful rule. Far longer than any of your recent predecessors. You can retire knowing you have directed the country well through many troubling times.”

  Rosul was deciding how to reply to the condescending words when a pair of additional voices interrupted her train of thought. She turned to see the remainder of her cabinet making their way into the area. The voice she had heard was that of Alani, her childhood friend who had served on the Cabinet since the first day Rosul had been named Queen. Every five years when the Cabinet was reformed, Rosul had made sure that Alani was one of those selected, her wisdom and loyalty something the Queen had on more than one occasion relied upon. Alani was the only member who had served so long. Most of the remaining members served a session or two, then moved on as different people were selected reflecting changing conditions in the kingdom. Kalli, with whom Alani was engaged in a serious discussion of some sort, was another rare member. She had served on the first Cabinet with Rosul all those years ago, then had been absent until the Queen had managed to convince her to come back for this last session after twe
nty-five years of absence. It had been a wise move on Rosul’s part. Only Kalli and Alani were of the same age as the Queen, the remaining three women considerably younger. Tinl was a full two decades her junior, another reason she felt she might have reason to hope for more years in the castle’s inner circles.

  “Your Majesty,” Kalli said formally as she approached, although she never used the greeting in private. “We just learned that the Guild sent the additional Casters to Ront as you had demanded.”

  “How many?” the Queen asked. She and the Guild had often had different ideas how the battles with the Baldarians should be approached. For reasons the Queen couldn’t fathom, Carif, the Saltique, the supreme leader of the Guild, frequently held back resources that would have aided the fighting. Ront was a city to the south, but well inland from the border with the Wastelands. Several days before the city had been unexpectedly attacked by the persistent Baldari. Never before had they reached so far inland, which suggested a change in their tactics.

  “I was told that fifteen Casters were being sent,” Kalli replied. “All but two of them women, and Senior Casters at that,” she added knowing the Queen would want to know the skill level of the team.

  “That is good to hear,” Rosul replied. “Perhaps Carif is starting to appreciate the seriousness of the raids by these savages.” She led the group into the conference area, and closed the doors behind them.

  Rosul wasn’t concerned that anyone might listen into conversations that took place in this wing of the castle, let alone what was said inside the conference room. She wasn’t a fool, and had known that the castle to be honeycombed with back corridors and hidden paths before she had come here. Within a year of her establishing residence in the royal quarters, a mysterious major fire had broken out, and the entire wing of the castle had required renovation. She’d overseen the rework, supposedly to make the quarters more comfortable and modern, but in truth she had ensured the builders followed certain design requirements. No hidden passageways now penetrated the royal wing. The guards who protected the Queen controlled the flow of visitors into the area, and without going through the choke point manned by her most trusted guards, no one could get within a hundred paces of the rooms occupied by the Queen. Walls were made of thick stone, a single layer moved into place by skilled commercial Casters, rather than those offered by the Guild. The thickness of the walls provided soundproofing, and yet the walls were limited in depth so there was no room for a hidden passageway to be built into the span of a wall.